Sarkozy's ex-wife comes out with tell-all autobiography

Cecilia Attias, the ex-wife of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is settling a few scores from her past in an autobiographical book in which she tries not to ruffle too many feathers but nevertheless dots her i's and crosses her t's about some of the landmark events in her life with the former head of state.

"Une envie de vérité" (A Desire for Truth), which will go on sale in France on Oct. 9, promises to be a big hit on the fall reading list.

Cecilia, who has been married since 2011 to the organizer of the conservative UMP party convention that in 2004 boosted Sarkozy to the party leadership, speaks about her first impressions of the ex-president as well as about the man who is her third husband.

"He was intelligent, lively, fun and he quickly let me know that I impressed him," she said about Sarkozy, whom she met at the wedding of some friends when both were in their late 20s and already married with children.

The excerpts from the book, which were published by the weekly Le Point, allude to Sarkozy's political rise, and his stints as UMP leader, economy minister and, finally, as president.

She also says that she fell in love with Attias, whom she described as "solid and calm" on contrast to Sarkozy's "misleading superficiality," adding that the former president's "ambition seemed to have no limits."

Moreover, she said that Sarkozy would fly into "terrible rages" and displayed a "worrying impulsiveness."

Sarkozy and Cecilia Attias were separated from 2005 until shortly before his 2007 election victory and they divorced later that year. EFE